Our older model reports that this compartment is “really cool, Mom! The headrest ships separately from the graco turbobooster middle portion of the seat. Once assembled, the headrest must remain attached for use in high back mode.
The seat cover and padding of the TurboBooster 2.0 can usually be removed for cleaning. Check the manufacturer’s instructions specific to your model for guidance on removing and washing the seat cover. Generally, it graco car seat is advisable to use a mild detergent and follow the recommended temperature settings for machine or hand washing. To adjust the headrest, locate the release button or lever, typically found on the back of the seat.
Both the high-back and backless modes fit kids between 40 and 120 pounds and 38 to 63 inches; this seat better accommodates heavier and taller kids than our other picks. At this point, her primary mode of transportation is a harnessed car seat so every time we review a booster, it’s a little more booster training for her. She’s getting more skilled at buckling herself in properly but this slow process speaks to the difference in when children might be ready to make the move from a harnessed car seat to a booster seat. The TurboBooster LX can be installed with or without the lower anchors.
The BubbleBum is a booster we love for what it is, but we encourage you not to ignore what it isn’t. This option is lightweight, rolls up in its own travel bag and is one that is uber-easy to take on travel or for little ones to carry for carpooling or camp. The BubbleBum is easy to use, and the inflated bottom is comfy enough. We love that this seat offers protection in situations where little ones might not use a safety seat at all, and we think it is an excellent choice for a second seat or frequent travel. The Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120 is an impressive high-backed booster we really love. This booster earned the top results for crash test analysis, bringing a combination of better sensor data for both the head and chest sensors to the table.
This wallet-loving option isn’t the best overall, but it does offer impressive crash test results for the price, which is why it won the award. The BubbleBum is also inexpensive, but given the lower scores in most metrics, we think it should be a travel and carpool-only option. However, the lower price means saving yourself graco car seat the hassle of moving your everyday seat or carrying a high-backed booster while on travel. We purchase 2 of each booster car seat in this review, one for crash testing and one for in-house and real-world use. We install each product in multiple cars to see how well it fits and how easy it is to install and use.
We analyzed the crash test sensor data from each booster’s crash sled dummy to determine how they performed compared to each other. To help you understand crash tests better, we’ve included comparison graphs using the actual crash test results in each booster’s gear review, and we have summarized them below. Our young testers enjoyed the double cupholders, which push in and out (they are not removable, unlike those on our top pick). And the easy-to-wipe-down, machine-washable, colorful fabric comes in red, blue, yellow, plum, as well as traditional black. One of our testers said her kids all vied to sit in the “fancy blue seat,” as they described the Monterey 2XT.
It’s like the now-retired Affix married the previous TurboBooster and had a very nice-looking, well-featured baby. The first thing I noticed about the RightGuide is that it’s small. I absolutely know that the smallness is a selling feature but even with that, it’s narrow at the back.
In backless mode, the Oobr has a Check Fit rating from the IIHS, which means the seat-belt fit varied in testing, depending on the child’s size and the vehicle. Because the Oobr is three times as expensive and twice as heavy as other seats that are just as safe and easy to use, we did not test it. But a Wirecutter editor who has had it for nearly three years can attest to its overall quality and that it was easy to use. The Diono Monterey 2XT Latch is similar to our top pick in terms of function, but it’s covered in a plusher fabric, and it has the option of extending the sides through the shoulders. So this seat is a good choice for kids who have a wider frame.
Click the connector onto the lower anchors in the vehicle, then pull the webbing until it’s tight. Booster seats aren’t as convoluted as convertible or infant car seats, but that doesn’t mean they are universally easy to use. For this type of gear, one of the most important regular activities is buckling in and whether or not little ones can do it for themselves. Other ease-of-use-related features would be attaching the seat to the vehicle (if applicable), adjusting the headrest and recline features, and moving the booster from place to place. We rank each product compared to the competition based on an analysis of the crash test reports using a 1-10 system. The best crash test score in the group and the best combined sensor data in the test group is the Peg Perego Viaggio Flex 120.
It’s also good for parents who want bigger kids to stay in a high-back booster longer (compared with the height and weight limits of our top and runner-up picks, this seat fits kids who are 20 pounds heavier and 6 inches taller). Like our other picks, the Diono Monterey converts from a high-back to a backless booster. The seat weighs 4 pounds more than our top pick, and it’s one of the widest models we looked at. He usually rides in a harnessed car seat but he was happy to check out the TurboBooster Grow for us. The belt fit on him is excellent — the vehicle seat belt lays across his hips and across the center of his shoulder.